Loyalty Is Earned

How does it feel to work for a leader who demands loyalty but does not deserve it? That's frustrating and in the end, impossible. Loyalty is important, but comes as a product of loyal behavior. To be loyal to a leader, we must know that the leader:

is also loyal to us
lives the values that we are held to
follows the practices that the organization has deemed necessary
earns that loyalty by developing honest, open, caring relationships

Not every leader will qualify, even though probably every leader craves loyalty. It does not come with the title, it must be earned and deserved.

A leader who demands loyalty does not deserve it. A leader who deserves loyalty need not demand it.

-- doug smith

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High Performance Leadership

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